According to a new study published on January 8 in the journal PNAS, bottled water contains previously unknown amounts of tiny plastic particles that could have devastating health effects.
Is bottled water a good choice when you want to drink pure water? Nothing is less certain… American scientists have just demonstrated, thanks to a new highly sensitive optical dosing technique, the presence of plastic nanoparticles in an amount 100 to 1,000 times greater more important than we have so far estimated.
Nanoplastics are plastic fragments measuring less than 1 micrometer (0.000,001 m), smaller than microplastics (less than 5 mm). Each of the three mineral water brands tested contained between 110,000 and 370,000 plastic particles, an average of 240,000 particles per liter, of which 90% were nanoparticles. A surprising fact: only a minority of nanoplastics came from the bottle material. These were mostly nylon particles, most likely from the filters used by bottling plants to purify the water – PET (polyethylene terephthalate) from which bottles are often made, only in second place. This could mean that the choice of water in glass bottles will not change the presence of most of these substances. PVC and polystyrene particles were also present. For scientists, this means that part of the contamination takes place before treatment and could be caused by the presence of plastics in all components of the environment, and thus in the water from the collection points.
For the authors who did not reveal the names of the analyzed brands, everything bottled water is therefore likely to contain significant amounts of nanoplastics.
Serious health effects?
Why is this worrying? Because we know that the smaller the particles produced by the degradation of plastic, the more likely they are to enter the bloodstream, they pass through biological membranes and penetrate deep into organs and cells, especially the heart, liver and brain. Not only can their (abrasive) presence cause cell damage, but they are likely to release the ingredients they contain, such as bisphenols and phthalates, whose endocrine effects are well documented.
Studies conducted on animals and cell cultures have shown that plastic particles affect the functioning of cells (oxidative stress, damage to cell membranes and DNA, etc.) and impaired fetal brain development and microbiota balance (read the box). Due to the absence of epidemiological studies, the effects on humans are not known. However, current data suggest that they could have a significant impact on public health.
Microplastics and guts
A study conducted on mice by French scientists showed that ingestion Polyethylene (PE) microplastics strongly affected the structure and immune function of the intestinal wall of rodents and significantly disturbed the balance of their microflora. PE is one of the most commonly used plastics (packaging, bags, agricultural tarps, etc.). The presence of PE microparticles has been detected in our stool, blood and even the placenta.
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